Abstract: On August 28, 1985, Employee #1 and a coworker were lowered, by standing in a backhoe bucket, into a drywell under construction. The employees worked for Jones of Annapolis, Incorporated. The drywell measured approximately 6 feet in diameter by 37 feet in depth. The employees were lowered into the drywell as far as the backhoe could reach. Employee #1 climbed the rest of the way by rope to retrieve a ten feet section of plastic drain pipe which had fallen into the drywell. Employee #1 climbed back up the rope to the bucket but could not get into the bucket. The bucket was then raised with the employee on the rope. As the bucket cleared the drywell opening, Employee #1 could not hold on any longer and fell back into the drywell approximately 37 feet sustaining fractures to his back and partial paralysis. The employee was a volunteer fireman. However, he had received very little training associated with drywell construction and their hazards. The employer did not have a safety program. The backhoe bucket was a Model Case 530 Extendo Hoe.